Inflammation of the tongue is referred to as glossitis. The condition changes the tongue's appearance, color, and size due to swelling. Glossitis is of many types, and the signs and symptoms vary. Due to this, it is also called smooth tongue infection, burning tongue syndrome, or tongue inflammation.
Glossitis is mainly of three different types such as:
- Acute Glossitis - The condition usually occurs as a sudden severe tongue inflammation caused by an allergic reaction.
- Chronic Glossitis - This glossitis is also an inflammatory condition of the tongue with a high recurrence rate. Chronic glossitis can be present as a symptom of some other medical condition.
- Median Rhomboid Glossitis - A candida yeast infection causes this glossitis in the body.
- Atrophic Glossitis -? It is also known as Hunter glossitis and is caused due to the loss of papillae. This further leads to a change in the tongue’s color and texture.
- Diseases - Tongue papillae and muscle gets affected by certain conditions that cause harm to the immune system in the body. For example, blisters and cold sores caused by the Herpes Simplex virus in the mouth lead to pain and swelling in the tongue.
- Allergic Reactions - ?Muscles of the tongue and papillae get aggravated with allergic reactions caused by certain irritants, food, and medications.
- Mouth Traumas - Injuries due to trauma or dental procedures can cause burns, inflammation, and cuts on the tongue surface, thus affecting the condition of the tongue.
- Low Iron Levels - Glossitis can also occur due to low iron levels, which affects the growth of red blood cells (RBCs) in the body. This further causes a decrease in myoglobin protein in the RBCs and thus affects the body's muscles, including the tongue.
??The symptoms caused by glossitis include:
- Change in the tongue color.
- Inability to eat, swallow, and speak.
- Swelling or inflammation of the tongue.
- Loss of tongue papillae.
- Tenderness and pain of the tongue.
- Itching and burning of the tongue.
?Risk Factors for Glossitis
- Mouth injuries.
- Food allergies.
- Low iron levels in the body.
- Spicy food consumption.
- Immune system disorders.
- Braces and dentures irritate the tongue muscle.
- Herpes infection.
?The diagnosis of glossitis is made in the following ways:
- First, the doctor does the patient's clinical examination and assesses the reported symptoms in the mouth and tongue.
- The doctor can also recommend blood tests to check for disease or nutritional deficiencies.
- A swab of saliva is also taken to detect any underlying cause.
- The doctor also examines the bumps and blisters on the tongue surface and notes all the abnormalities of the tongue surface.
- Maintaining good oral hygiene is essential to cure glossitis.
- Antibiotics, antifungal, and antiviral drugs are prescribed to a person for related infection causes.
- Nutritional problems are treated with changes in supplements and diet of a person.
- Irritants such as alcohol, tobacco, and spicy food are also asked to avoid the glossitis.